


dan and phil: ace attorneys

by ClementineKitten



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: AU, Other, did dan even pass the bar who knows, i have no knowledge of law, lawyering is hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-06 22:56:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10346469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClementineKitten/pseuds/ClementineKitten
Summary: in an alternate universe, daniel-san-lan-chan finishes law school and appoints phillip de franco as his aide. what will happen? will i even finish this?this is a serious fic i swear. i love ace attorney.





	1. Turnabout Commencement, 1-1, Part One

**September 3rd, 9:52 AM  
District Court  
Defendant Lobby No. 3**

_Knees weak, arms heavy, palms sweaty… Yep, I’m nervous._ Dan felt his fingertips tremble as he checked off a mental checklist in his head. He adjusted his bow tie anxiously (he wore it ironically, so he claimed…, but he had to admit that the piece of clothing had grown on him), fingering his attorney’s badge. He was still fresh out of law school,and the cool metal beneath his perspiring hand was more than comforting.

“Are you nervous, Dan?” said a voice. Dan turned just in time to see his defense aide, Phil, walking through the doorway with his side bag swinging at his hip. He bit his lip.

“You were almost late! How would you feel if you arrived after my first trial started. And how would that make me feel, alone and scared in the courtroom?” Dan said accusingly.

“Calm down, Danny,” Phil said with a small smile. “We have a couple minutes, and I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

“Fine… right,” Dan sighed as his aide patted him on the back. “A couple minutes,” he muttered under his breath. As if! His eyes strayed to the ceiling, and he tried to internally monologue to calm his rising panic.

_My name is Dan Howell. I’m a defense attorney- though it doesn’t feel that way quite yet. I graduated law school a couple months back, and I am hella nervous for today. It’s my first case- a cut and dry murder, so it seems._

_That unreliable ball of sunshine with skin as white as paper is my co-counsel and housemate, Phil Lester. He may not look it, but he’s a pretty smart guy, and I can always count on him to keep things in order- provided it doesn’t leave his messenger's bag. While he spends most of his time with me, he dabbles in writing, entertainment, and strangely enough, psychology._

_Our first client’s name is Louise Pentland- a friend of mine and Phil’s (wait, that’s not illegal, right? What’s a conflict of interest?). She’s been charged with the murder of a man named Tony Rial, a strange leech-like man who wandered the streets at night- that’s about all I know about him. But I know Louise- she could never, ever do something like that._

“Ms. Pentland!” Dan exclaimed as he noticed the defendant entering the lobby- she probably just got out of some sort of pre-trial meeting. Er, how does court work again?

“Hello Dan, hello Phil!” Louise chirped. Still chipper, even when she was about to be on trial. “You can call me Louise, you know,” she added with a wink.

“I know, Pentland Ms. Louise… DAMMIT!” Dan cursed while Louise gave a small chuckle. “You’ll be fine,” she assured him gently, giving him a warm grin. It eased his nerves a little bit. Not much, but a little.

“Just remember that if you fail, I’m getting thrown in the slammer. For life. Or 25 years, whichever comes first.” She frowned, then perked back up. “I swear I didn’t kill anyone, and as long as you believe that, I trust you’ll find out the truth.”

“Thanks,” Dan mumbled. Phil shifted next to his friend and mussed with his own hair. “We’ll get you out of there, Louise,” he said, semi-confidently. “We believe you!”

“Then I leave myself in your capable hands,” she said. Dan gave a weak chortle to accompany the fake, nervous smile plastered across his mouth. Do they have water fountains in the courtroom? He was feeling a bit faint.

“Mr. Howell? You’re requested in the courtroom.” Dan turned to see a female bailiff pointing towards the ajar entrance to the room. His nerves were mounting, and he felt his heart start to pound in his chest. His legs felt like jelly.

Phil glanced at him, blue eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Well, Dan? It’s time. Let’s go.”


	2. Turnabout Premonition, 1-1, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the defense is sweaty. i mean ready.

“Court is now in session for the trial of Louise Pentland.”

“The prosecution is ready,” said a woman at the opposite bench. She had black hair, and dark eyes. Dan shuddered.

“The defense is, er, sweaty. I mean ready!” Dan corrected quickly. Beside him, Phil snorted.

“Mr. ..Howell, was it? Are you absolutely sure you’re up to this? You look a little green…” the Judge stared down skeptically from his chair. Dan gulped.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Your Honour,” he stated firmly. Though his voice did waver slightly.

“Would you like to have a small test to ascertain your readiness, as it'll ever be or not?” the Judge said, eyes squinted in slight concern.

“N-no, Your Honour. I'm fine, thanks,” Dan said, his jaw tensing. A frown crossed his mouth.

“Whatever you say, Mr. Howell,” the Judge responded, and he turned to look at the woman standing across from the defense attorney. “Prosecutor Valdes, your opening statement, please.”

“Certainly, Your Honour,” the prosecutor -Ms. Valdes- said. “During the early hours of September 1st, a man’s body was found inside Ms. Pentland’s apartment- The Lecic Suites. The body of Mr. Rial was in the lobby of the apartment, and according to hotel staff, he never checked in- and Ms. Pentland was the last one who entered. The prosecution plans to present evidence that proves her guilt.”

Dan gulped. Shit. This was bad news. 

“Here is Mr. Rial’s autopsy report,” Prosecutor Valdes stated, holding up a thin file as she approached the Judge.

“The court accepts this evidence into the court record,” the Judge responded, perusing the autopsy report with his eyebrows knit.

**> Mr. Rial’s autopsy added to court record  
Cause of death: Blood loss due to stabbing; victim was stabbed four times in the left shoulder and once just beside the heart.  
Murder weapon: Lecic Suite letter opener  
Estimated time of death: 2:00 A.M**

“Hey, hey, Dan. Any evidence in the court record can be looked at by-” Phil started, but was quickly cut off by Dan.

“I know Phil, I finished law school,” he snapped. Phil cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing. Then a small grin quirked his lip.

“You’re so ready for this,” he said.

The Judge hummed as he handed the report back to Prosecutor Valdes. “The murder weapon was a letter opener? Do you have that here with you?” he asked.

“Of course,” Prosecutor Valdes said. She produced a mid-size knife with brown stains- Blood, Dan presumed- all over the blade, but never extending to the hilt, which was embroidered with a fancy looking script that read ‘Lecic’s.’ Dan frowned. Surely, the hotel staff realized that a letter opener that sharp was a safety hazard? He wasn’t even sure if people used letter opener in this day and age. 

**> Lecic Suite letter opener added to court record  
A small blade with a sharp tip that looks like it could cause a pretty serious wound if used irresponsibly. The silver of the blade is hidden by splatters of dry and flaky blood, but the hilt is clean and looks smooth to the touch.**

“And this letter opener came from the hotel?” the Judge questioned. 

“Yes, as you can see by the bottom,” Prosecutor Valdes said. She turned and walked back to her bench, a smirk spreading across her face. “And that is why-” she began, and then slapped her hand on her desk with a satisfying thump, “Ms. Louise Pentland is indicted on the charge of murder!”

Dan’s mind whirled. Could she just do that? He meant, of course she could, that’s why they were in court in the first place… But the ferocity with which she said it still seemed so absurd! Was that a thing she could say in court? Why couldn’t he say that she wasn’t guilty of second fahrenheit murder (or whatever she said, he was still feeling faint)?

Oh wait. He could. That was kind of his job.

“O-Objection!” Dan yelled. Well, ‘yelled’ in a sense, if a yell is bursting at the seams with uncertainty and voice cracks. Seriously, how is your voice able to warble so much in the span of saying one word? The court was quiet, and Dan noticed Phil’s eyes sparkling.

“On what grounds, Mr. Howell?” the Judge asked.

“Ah, erm, uh…” Dan stumbled.

“Was Ms. Pentland’s prints or DNA of any sort on the murder weapon?” Phil jumped in, noticing the sweat beading on Dan’s temple. “I believe we haven’t gotten any solid clarification as to why she was arrested.” He finished while adjusting his tie, and Dan flashed him a grateful look.

“Uh, yes, what he said. I meannnn… The prosecutor has stated that this is a murder charge, but was it premeditated?” Dan asked through his teeth.

Prosecutor Valdes dipped her head. “We can assume that Ms. Pentland had the intent to kill- as there was six stab wounds in the victim. As for your question, we did find prints on the murder weapon.”

Dan balked, and Phil muttered something under his breath.

**> Lecic Suite letter opener updated in the court record  
A small blade with a sharp tip that looks like it could cause a pretty serious wound if used irresponsibly. The silver of the blade is hidden by splatters of dry and flaky blood, but the hilt is clean and looks smooth to the touch. Has Ms. Pentland’s prints on it.**

“Did you now? Fascinating!” the Judge said. “Could you elaborate?”

“I could, but I’d rather have someone more qualified do it for me.” Prosecutor Valdes took a pregnant pause and Dan caught his breath. “Your Honour, if I may call my first witness?” she asked, eyes flickering to the Judge’s bench. He nodded.

“Do as you must,” he said.

“Thank you,” she responded respectfully. She then turned to look at Dan, her eyes boring into his. Dan cringed, feeling the heat coming deep within that pretty face. “The prosecution calls Detective Sugg to the stand.”

**Author's Note:**

> memes! new chapter will come eventually where stuff gets good


End file.
